APPENDIX

Arcane Maneuvers

The following maneuvers are described in the same language as melee combat – attacks, parries, evades. It is important to remember, however, that the caster is not actually physically moving about. His soul and all his essences are doing intense battle with one another. The player and seanachai are encouraged to come up with names for the maneuvers that would be appropriate for the characters.

The maneuvers listed here are only the most commonly known and practiced.

Aggressive maneuvers attempt to bend and twist arcane forces against an opponent in order to wrestle away control of sarrum. To those with the Sight, this might appear like streaks of light and sound, a mighty wind, or phantasmal bolts and ripples.

Defensive maneuvers nullify sarrum by diminishing magical force or setting up obstacles between the attacker and the defender. To those with the Sight, this might appear as explosions of light and sound, howling torrents of wind, or ghostly shields of ripples and echoes.

To one degree or another, the defender releases the flow of sarrum for just long enough to allow strikes to fly past him. He then grabs hold once again with all of his might. The defensive target number depends on what type of evasion-like maneuver the defender is attempting.

For a full release the DTN is 4. Doing this will end the round immediately and initiative will have to be determined again.

In partial release the DTN is 7. The successful defender only gains initiative if he pays 2 ACP for the next exchange, or if the opponent fumbles or fails completely.

In a drop and weave the DTN is 9. The payoff, however, is that the successful defender may attack on the next exchange as if his opponent had botched his attack: ACP is reduced by half during the next exchange.

Fumbling any of the release maneuvers means the attacker has struck the failing defender solidly. Increase the ACP lost by 2 dice.

If the attacker wins, the defender loses ACP equal to the attacker’s MOS.

Strike | Aggressive | Requires ART 4 | Activation Cost 0 | ATN 6

The arcane flow is bent into an assault against the opponent.

Up to 3 dice may be expended from the SP to add extra power to the attack when announced.

SP dice spent in this way are expended as if they had been used in spell casting.

Support | Defensive | Requires ART 6 | Activation Cost 0 | TN 6-8

All spellcasters within another spellcaster’s sphere may use the support maneuver if they have learned it.

Roll the caster’s base ACP versus a TN of 7

All successes are added to the ACP value of the lead spellcaster for that round

In following rounds if the lead spellcaster has the initiative, the TN for Support is 6

In following rounds if the lead spellcaster does not have the initiative, the TN for support is 8

If the lead caster is successful any of the casters may then cast a spell

If the lead caster is not successful, all supporting sorcerers lose a number of SP dice equal to the number they lent the lead spellcaster during the last round of arcane combat. * * These lost dice are exhausted as if they had been used in spellcasting.